


Wrong Turns

by bessemerprocess



Category: Journeyman
Genre: Gen, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-10-30
Updated: 2008-10-30
Packaged: 2017-10-02 22:45:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bessemerprocess/pseuds/bessemerprocess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Emily, Livia warns Dan not to change things, but he does anyway. In Blowback, he's punished. Set pre-Blowback, this is a different take on how the universe might have decided to strike back at Dan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrong Turns

Jack Vasser slams down the phone. Dan hasn't shown up at Dr. Castleman's, has ignored Jack's threat. It's not like Jack hadn't known this was exactly what was going to happen, he has the paperwork sitting in front of him, only lacking a signature.

He flips open his cell, "Hey, Jason," he says, "do me a favor. Go park out in front of my brother's house. Call me if he tries to leave before I get there."

"Not a problem," replies Jason, "Lights on or off?"

"Off, I'll be there in ten," Jack flips the phone off and shoves it in his pocket.

With his lights on, Jack makes it to Dan's house in eight minutes. A new record. Jason is leaning on his car, looking at Jack questioningly.

"He hasn't tried to leave," says Jason. "We did run off a guy who seemed to be casing the place."

"Thanks." Jack is already worrying that his brother is running drugs or working as a hit man. "I'm going to go in and talk to him. Hang out by the door and look menacing."

Jason nods; solid backup makes Jack feel better about all this. He rings the bell and Dan answers like nothing is wrong, which only serves to piss Jack off more.

"It eight fucking forty five, Dan. You decide to test me? You think I would let you put them in danger?" yells Jack, rage tumbling out of his mouth.

Dan takes a step back, mouth open, but his surprise doesn't even slow Jack down.

"Not this time, Dan. This was your last chance and you blew it!" Jack grabs Dan's shirt and he tries to pull away, run. Five seconds later Dan is on the ground with Jack's knee in his back. Dan tenses and Jack knows he's thinking about fighting dirty, like they'd done as kids. Dan has a few pounds on him, but Jack's a cop and he's not going to let Dan resist. He shifts more weight to the knee in Dan's back.

"Fuck," Dan whimpers, "Uncle!"

Jack doesn't let up, instead he slaps cuffs on his baby brother as Jason watches, weapon drawn.

"This isn't the playground, Dan. You fucked up." Certain the cuffs are in place, Jack gets up and then pulls Dan with him.

"Happy?" Dan snarls.

"No," says Jack, "Come on. We're going to take a trip down to General and get you some help."

"I don't need help. Let me go," Dan says, trying to twist away.

Jack grabs Dan's arm. "Yes, you do," he says quietly as he leads Dan to the door. Jason follows them out, weapon reholstered and opens the squad car's door for Jack. "This is officer Lowery. He's going to drive you down to General and I'll lock up the house and follow you, okay?" explains Jack in his calmest tone of voice. The one he uses when Zack is hurt.

"Call Katie," asks Dan as Jason guides his head into the car.

"Don't worry," Jack quickly goes back, locks the front door, and returns to his car.

Thirty minutes to General, with the traffic. All of them spent wondering if Dan will get better, can get better, if he has gotten himself into trouble even Jack can't get him out of.

The ER is crazy, but Jason's badge has already secured Dan an exam room. Dan's been recuffed to the bed. Jack walks in, interrupting a litany of ways in which he has wronged Dan. Jason seems to be ignoring him and a doctor has yet to appear.

"Did you call Katie?" is Dan's first question.

"I'll call her when we figure out what's going to happen. Maybe the doctor will say you're fine and we don't have to scare her," replies Jack.

Dan sits back, knowing he isn't going to get any further with his brother. The doctor finally arrives; she looks young, hair back in cornrows, with a wide, calm smile. She peers down at the chart in her hands, "Mr. Vasser?"

Dan smiles, handcuffs clunking against the bad, "That's me."

"Detective Jack Vasser and Officer Jason Lowery," introduces Jack.

"Dr. Keyana Taims," the doctor replies. "Why don't the two of you get some coffee while I speak with Dan, here?"

Jack scowls but complies.

***

Once they are alone, Dr. Taims turns to Dan, "So that was your brother? Younger or older?"

"Older," replies Dan.

"I figured. He reminds me a bit of my older brother. It says here that he's really worried about you, Dan. You've been disappearing, having delusion?"

"I haven't been having delusions," says Dan, leaning forward. "My brother is just nosy."

"Have you heard any voices lately? Any sounds that seem to be coming from nowhere?" the doctor asks.

"No."

"Your brother mentioned that you've been seeing your fiancée who past away nine years ago," Dr. Taims glances over her clipboard with a questioning look.

"No," says Dan, handcuffs tugging against the bed rail. "I'm not crazy." He needs to get out of here right now. He's going to be stuck if he can't talk Jack out of this absurdity.

"Mr. Vasser, calm down," Dr. Taims says.

"I can't be calm, my own brother is trying to get me locked up, because he's to goddamn craven to arrest me himself. I'm going to kill him." Panic rises in Dan's chest. He is going to end up locked in a little white room. And then he'll disappear, and they'll think he's escaped. He is going to spend the rest of his life in the present strapped to a bed, drugged out of his mind. He'll never see his son grow up and Katie won't be able to save him. "I need to get out of here. I need to call my wife. Before my brother convinces her I'm crazy. I have to stop him."

"Mr. Vasser, you need to calm down, you're brother just wants to help you. If you can't keep calm, I'm going to have to sedate you," Dr. Taims said.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," replies Dan a few deep breaths later. If he can keep himself calm he has a chance of getting out of here, of avoiding being imprisoned for the rest of his life by medical science.

There is a knock at the door and Dr. Taims looks up as Jack pokes his in, "How's it going, Doc?"

She nods to him, and says to Dan, "I'm going to speak with your brother for a moment. Officer Lowery is going to stay with you, okay. Just stay calm, if you can do that for me."

"Fine," glowers Dan as Lowery and Dr. Taims switch places.

***

Door firmly closed behind them, Jack asks, "So, how is he?" He isn't sure what he's hoping for. If Dan isn't crazy, he is still in trouble, and who knows what kind. If he is crazy, well, Dan is still his little brother and Jack will do anything he can to make sure he gets better.

"My initial diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia," says Dr. Taims. "It's tentative, but we're going to file a 5250, unless he commits himself voluntarily. He may be a danger to himself or others."

"Shit! Sorry, sorry." Jack tries to cover his pain with politeness, but that very rarely works.

"Don't worry about it Detective Vasser. This is a hard thing to do." She lays a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort, but all Jack can think about is how his family is about to fall apart.


End file.
